The Ultimate Guide to Navigating Flexible Part-time Jobs in Singapore 2024

A part-time employee is a person who gets a contract of service from Singapore's Ministry of Manpower to work less than 35 hours a week.  Part-time employment is covered under the Employment Act exclusively for domestic workers, seafarers, etc.  

​​​​​​​As a part-time employee, the contract of service specifies in detail:  ​​​​​​​

• Basic Pay Scale on an hourly rate basis  
• Pay Scale within the allowances covered among the Basic Pay Scale   
• Number of working hours per day or per week 
• Number of working days weekly or monthly  

​​​​​​​The Employment Act applies to every type of employment, including temporary, contract, daily rated, and tenured employees.   

Are you still wondering whether part-time jobs are suitable for you? Seek the list of benefits of part-time jobs below:  

• Improved Work-life Balance
  You can get flexible hours to spend with your family, friends, hobbies and or other activities.  
   
• Flexible Work Hours
  With a part-time job, you are not constricted to fixed working hours and have the liberty to engage in other work and activities. 
   
• Acquiring Skills for Full Time Employment
  Working part-time can spare you with more time to gain extra skills and education, which is essential to acquire full-time employment.   
  ​​​​​​​
• Increased Earning Potential
  ​​​​​​​You can achieve greater financial stability while maintaining flexibility by working multiple part-time jobs. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​With part-time jobs, you are entitled to receive overtime pay, rest days, public holidays, and other prorated leaves commensurate with your working hours. Singapore offers part-time employees at Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme, which enhances their financial stability in addition to their income and contributions.  

As a part-time employee, your wage will be paid hourly by your employer.

For example, the pay scale of the part-time employee can be divided by the daily and hourly rate of pay calculated as follows:

As a part-time employee, it is crucial to be knowledgeable about the laws and regulations governing part-time employment. This includes overtime working hours, pay scale, rest days, public holidays, statutory leaves, hourly and daily pay, and employee contributions.

1. Overtime Working Hours and Pay Scale for Part-time Employees

   Part-time workers are entitled to overtime pay that exceed the regular working hours of a similar full-time employee.

   However, due to the prorated nature of part-time pay, it inherently results in lower compensation compared to that of a full-time employee. If the part-time employee has exceeded the regular working hours of a full-time employee, the part-time employee will be compensated 1.5 times their basic hourly pay as their overtime pay scale for the additional hours they have worked.

   Calculation of Overtime Pay Scale based on the additional working hours:

   • For example, let us consider a part-time employee has worked 11 hours in a day. The standard working hours of a full-time employee is 9 hours a day. Hence, the part-time employee has worked overtime for a duration of 2 hours. As such, the employee’s pay is calculated as follows: For the initial 9 hours, the pay scale would be 9*S$8=S$72
   • For the remaining 2 hours of overtime, the overtime pay scale would be: 2*1.5*S$8=S$24

   So, the total pay would be S$96 inclusive of 2 hours of overtime pay.

2. Rest Day Entitlement and Pay Scale for the working hours of Part-time Employees

   Under Part IV of the Employment Act, a part-time employee is legally entitled to one rest day per week after working for five days, ensuring fair treatment and work-life balance.

   If the part-time employee has worked on their rest day, the pay scale depends on whether the work done is at the employer's or employee’s request. The employer ultimately decides on the employee’s rest day. If the rest day does not fall on a Sunday, the employer must then create a monthly roster to notify the part-time employee of their schedule before the start of the month.

   Calculation of Pay Scale for a Part-time Employee while working on Rest Days

   Based on the working hours of a part-time employee, the pay scale is determined as follows below:

   If Work is Undergone	At Employer’s request	At Employee’s request
   Up to Half Hour of the Basic Working Hours	1 day’s salary at basic rate of pay	½ day’s salary at basic rate of pay
   Above Half Hour from Basic Working Hours	2 days’ salary at basic rate of pay	1 day’s salary at basic rate of pay
   Above Half Hour from Basic Working Hours	2 days’ salary at basic rate of pay	1 day’s salary at basic rate of pay
   Above Basic Daily Working hours and more than Basic Daily Working hours of Full-time Employee	2 days’ salary + your basic daily rate of pay + 1.5 times your basic hourly rate of pay	1 day’s salary + your basic hourly rate of pay + 1.5 times your basic hourly rate of pay

   For example, a part-time employee works a standard of 4 hours a day, and a full-time employee works 8 hours. Let’s take the basic hourly rate to be S$5.

   Consider the part-time employee has worked 9 hours on a rest day at their employer’s request. The rest day pay scale for the part-time employee will be as follows:

   The overall rest day pay is S$67.5.

3. Public Holidays for Part-Time Employees

   As per MOM, part-time employees are entitled to paid public holidays if they are working on said holiday or can agree with your employer to encash instead. The encashment can be included in the employee’s gross hourly pay. The Employment Act outlines the following pay structure if the part-time employee decides to work on a public holiday:

   • Average pay for 1 day of work
   • Additional pay, as agreed upon, is provided for public holidays and can be encashed
   • 1 day of travel allowance is included if stated in the contract

4. Statutory Leave Entitlement for Part-time Employees

   Part-time employees are entitled to paid annual leave and sick leave as per the guidelines of MOM (Ministry of Manpower). If the part-employees are parents, they are also eligible to take maternity leave, paternity leave, and child-care leave.

   The following leaves are entitled based on the following principles:

   • Annual leave: If the employee has completed the first three months of their employment known as the probation period, they are eligible for paid annual leave in proportion to a full-timer's yearly entitlement regarding their working hours. They are subjected to encashment for the leave.
   • Sick leave: After completing the probation period of 3 months, they are entitled to sick leave or hospitalization leave. However, encashment is not allowed. The employee may be eligible for medical reimbursement if they are able to provide attestation from a valid practitioner.
   • Maternity and paternity leave: Part-time employees are subjected to paid maternity or paternity leave with the contracted workdays at the gross pay rate.
   • Childcare leave: It is entitled based on working hours and adjusted equivalent to the full-time employee's working hours. It can be taken based on the eligibility criteria, at a maximum of 2 days.
   • Adoption leave: Based on the eligibility criteria, you are eligible for 12 weeks of leave, if the work is over allotted by the employer.

For a part-time believes the company has dispersed them unlawfully, they are able to file a complaint against their workplace. According to the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM), employees can file the complaint within a month before their last working day. The following conditions are stated for unfair banishment:

• If the employer banished the employee for reasons related to any discriminatory groups such as age, gender, caste, sex, marital status and religion.
• If the employer dismisses the employee since filing a mediation request with TADM due to salary-related discrepancies.
• If the employee is denied the benefits and entitlements undergone by the Employment Act after being dispersed by the employer.

For part-time employees, if their earnings exceed S$50, employees are required to contribute a portion of their salary to their Central Provident Fund (CPF). For Singapore citizens and permanent residents, it is compulsory to contribute a portion of their salary to their CPF. This will serve as a cushion for their retirement, medical and housing needs. The contribution limit, however, depends on the employee’s age and monthly wage. 

A part-time employee standard working hours are to 35 hours per week. Part-time employment provides the freedom to manage one's own schedule with more flexibility and versatility as compared to full-time employment. 

​​​​​​​When choosing your career path, opt for the best that firmly establishes your future and allows you to achieve your career goals.